Nursing Care Plan for Hypovolemic Shock
Also searched as: hemorrhagic shock
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
A life-threatening emergency in which blood or fluid loss leaves too little circulating volume to perfuse organs. Nursing care centers on rapid volume replacement, stopping the loss, and minute-to-minute monitoring of perfusion.
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Assessment
- Subjective: reports thirst, weakness, anxiety, feeling cold or faint (when able to respond)
- Objective: SBP below 90 mmHg, HR above 120 with weak thready pulse, capillary refill over 3 seconds, cool pale clammy skin, urine output below 0.5 mL/kg/hr, restlessness or decreased level of consciousness, visible bleeding or measured fluid losses
Nursing diagnoses
As evidenced by: hypotension, tachycardia, urine output below 0.5 mL/kg/hr
As evidenced by: cool clammy skin, capillary refill over 3 seconds, altered mental status
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will regain adequate perfusion (SBP at or above 90 mmHg, HR below 100, urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr) within 1-2 hours of resuscitation.
- The source of volume loss will be identified and controlled during the resuscitation period.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Establish or assist with two large-bore IV lines (14-16 gauge) and rapidly infuse crystalloids or blood products as ordered. | Two large lines allow fast volume and blood replacement, the core treatment of hypovolemia. |
| Monitor SBP, HR, SpO2, mental status, capillary refill, and hourly urine output (goal at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr). | These parameters show whether perfusion is returning; falling urine output signals ongoing shock. |
| Control the source of loss: apply direct pressure to external bleeding and prepare for surgery or procedures as ordered. | Resuscitation fails if the loss continues. |
| Position the patient supine with legs elevated (modified Trendelenburg) unless contraindicated, and give oxygen as ordered. | Leg elevation shifts blood toward the heart and brain; oxygen improves delivery from the volume that remains. |
Evaluation
- SBP and HR return toward baseline
- Urine output at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr
- Skin warm, capillary refill under 3 seconds, mentation clear
Sources & further reading
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Hypovolemic Shock care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Hypovolemic Shock?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Deficient fluid volume related to active hemorrhage or excessive fluid loss; Reduced tissue and organ perfusion related to loss of circulating volume. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Hypovolemic Shock?
Key interventions: Establish or assist with two large-bore IV lines (14-16 gauge) and rapidly infuse crystalloids or blood products as ordered.; Monitor SBP, HR, SpO2, mental status, capillary refill, and hourly urine output (goal at or above 0.5 mL/kg/hr).; Control the source of loss: apply direct pressure to external bleeding and prepare for surgery or procedures as ordered., each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only, NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.